Librum vs Sigil

A side-by-side comparison of two self-hosted e-books & media library options — licensing, setup difficulty, resource needs, and what each one replaces.

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FeatureLibrumSigil
CategoryE-books & Media LibraryE-books & Media Library
LicenseGPL-3.0GPL-3.0
LanguageC++C++
Setup difficultyMediumEasy
Min. RAM512 MB256 MB
Deploymentdockerbare-metal, binary
GitHub stars★ 5,307★ 6,913
First released20232009
ReplacesKindle, GoodreadsAdobe InDesign EPUB export

Why pick each one

Choose Librum if…

  • Clean modern reader
  • Syncs across devices
  • Open source
Librum details

Choose Sigil if…

  • Released under the GPL-3.0 license
  • Easy to set up — beginner-friendly
  • Mature project with 6.9k GitHub stars
  • Written in C++
Sigil details

Frequently asked questions

Is Librum or Sigil better?

Sigil is the stronger all-round pick: it has both the larger community and the simpler easy setup. Consider Librum if its specific feature set fits your needs better.

Are Librum and Sigil free and open-source?

Yes. Librum is licensed under GPL-3.0 and Sigil under GPL-3.0. Both can be self-hosted at no software cost.

Can I run Librum and Sigil with Docker?

Librum: yes. Sigil: check the project docs for container support.

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